Process Advantages of Depositing for Functional & Medicated Confectionery. Keith Graham - Marketing Manager, Baker Perkins Ltd

Transcription

1 Process Advantages of Depositing for Functional & Medicated Confectionery Keith Graham - Marketing Manager, Baker Perkins Ltd

2 Introduction The use of confectionery products to carry over-the-counter medications or dietary supplements is increasing as consumers realise that the treatment of minor ailments and augmentation of their diets need not be unpleasant experiences. Functional and medicated confectionery is not new but the accuracy and hygiene of modern cooking and depositing techniques has broadened the range of potential applications. This paper discusses the applications of confectionery products as carriers for functional and medicated ingredients and the particular challenges of manufacturing to the exacting quality and consistency standards expected in these sectors. The reasons why depositing as a manufacturing method is particularly suited to these demands are reviewed About Baker Perkins Baker Perkins is a UK-based supplier of process systems and equipment to the food industry. We supply process lines and unit machines around the world for confectionery, bread, biscuits, breakfast cereals and snacks. Customers range from independent producers to large multinationals. As well as the food industry we also supply systems to healthcare and pharmaceutical companies. These systems are capable of validation to whatever standard is required and we are happy to accommodate all requests for additional documentation, FAT s or on-site support. All our systems are underpinned by an understanding of the process. We invest heavily in the staff and facilities of our Confectionery Innovation Centre in the UK where we develop new product and process ideas with customers or as part of our development programme. Customers using the Innovation Centre have access to a full range of pilot-scale cooking and depositing systems as well as the many years experience of our process technologists. This support continues through and beyond the commissioning phase of every project. Contact Details United Kingdom Baker Perkins Ltd Manor Drive Paston Parkway Peterborough, PE4 7AP United Kingdom Tel: bpltd@bakerperkins.com USA Baker Perkins Inc 3223, Kraft Ave SE Grand Rapids, MI, United States Tel: bpinc@bakerperkins.com Page 2

3 Functional and Medicated Applications for Confectionery The functional sector ranges from boosting the intake of essential nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, fibre and protein to adding beneficial supplements such as folic acid and Omega-3 to the diet. This sector also extends to sports nutrition where confectionery is ideally suited to portable and convenient energy and recovery products. Medicated products include ingredients such as antiseptics, menthol and eucalyptus oil to alleviate the symptoms of minor ailments such as coughs, colds, sore throats and nasal congestion. As well as being more palatable than the alternatives of tablets or capsules, confectionery also overcomes a psychological barrier caused by the association of these delivery systems with illness and medical intervention. Consumers seeking functional and even medicated products are not ill, just aiming to improve their diet and well-being. Page 3

4 Active Ingredients Depositing has the capability to add different forms of active ingredients at various stages. Heat stable ingredients can be incorporated at the start of the weighing and mixing process while lowvolume liquid additions can be mixed in after cooking using the high-accuracy colour/flavour incorporation system. Viscous ingredients can be deposited as a centre filling, which may be encapsulated within either a jelly or hard candy outer. Volatile ingredients are added just before the depositor hopper, which has a low retention time that minimises evaporation and it is also possible to add powders or other small inclusions ito the candy just before it is deposited The principal characteristics of cooking and depositing are central to the successful production of functional and medicated confectionery. Although cooking takes place at high temperature the addition of the active ingredients is usually delayed until just before depositing to avoid losses or degradation. Depositing takes place at a lower temperature and is quickly followed by rapid cooling for increased ingredient stability. High-accuracy metering and dosing equipment ensures that exactly the right proportion of active ingredients is added to the cooked syrup. When combined with the very accurate control of piece weight that depositing offers the result is that every piece contains the correct amount of active ingredients. Where over-dosing of the active ingredients is required to provide an acceptable shelf life the ability to control addition rates precisely is particularly important to keeping costs under control. Page 4

5 Products The ability to accurately dose and maximise the effectiveness of the active ingredients are not the only characteristics of depositing that make it uniquely suitable for functional and medicated confectionery. The glossy finish, consistent size and smooth mouth-feel of deposited products are entirely in keeping with the high-quality image that consumers expect when purchasing healthcare products. Many confectionery production processes are based on traditional manual processes and subject to the same sort of inconsistencies. These might considered desirable in candy but undermine the premium pricing and reassuring image required in healthcare The smooth mouth-feel and slow release of deposited hard candy are ideal for medicated products while jelly and fruit products may be more suited to functional applications. Both product types can be made with sugar or be sugar-free. Solid Lollipops Striped Layered Filled Inclusions Embossed Page 5

6 For many applications a simple crystal-clear hard candy or a glossy jelly is the ideal delivery mechanism but depositing provides a number of options for increased complexity. Multi-component products are a particular strength of depositing compared with other production methods: striped layered or filled products that retain the high-quality appearance of the single-component products are all possible. Striped products can be used to deliver different actives in each stripe for either organoleptic or therapeutic reasons. Layered products can do the same but with the added advantage that the two components could have different textures e.g. hard candy and crystallised Xylitol. Filled products offer the opportunity to carry an active ingredient in a gel or other soft centre, a technique that might be particularly useful if it is necessary to protect the active ingredient from excess heat or acidity. Small inclusions such as herbs, green tea or micro-capsules can be added to the syrup immediately prior to the depositor in order to create a multi-phase product. Process Of the technologies available to the medicated and functional confectionery sectors, depositing is undoubtedly the most appropriate because of the hygiene, accuracy and product quality it offers. Additionally, the process adheres to the principles of GMP and is readily capable of validation to FDA/EMEA standards. Hygiene is a significant factor with full washout capability of the cooking and depositing systems. Unlike moguls there is a complete absence of starch and the need to re-cycle it. The cooking and depositing systems are controlled by separate PLC s but are integrated at the operator HMI level. Set-up is completely recipe-driven with ingredient calls, temperatures, flow rates speeds and depositor profiles all downloaded from the control system to the machines automatically. Recipes can be locked and every operator change during production logged against a user ID so traceability right up to CFR 21 Part 11 standards is possible CFA Microfilm ServoForm Autofeed Page 6

7 Weighing & Mixing The process starts with weighing and mixing of the main ingredients with water and sugar or a sugarfree material. The latter are usually derived from sugar so are not as synthetic as names such as Isomalt might imply but experience from the confectionery industry suggests that there may be a mistrust of sugar-free candy amongst consumers. Either way, the process and same equipment are the same. The other main ingredient added at this stage for hard candy is glucose syrup while for jelly a gelling agent is required starch, pectin, carrageenan, or a combination of these, are the most common. The ingredients are fed sequentially into a gravimetric weighing and mixing tank and the quantity of each subsequent ingredient is adjusted according to the actual weight of the preceding ones. In this way an accuracy of 0.1% is achieved, to ensure quality and consistency are maintained. It is possible to add active ingredients at this stage provided that they are heat stable but in practice there is very little reason to do so. Each batch of ingredients is mixed to a slurry and then fed to a reservoir tank which provides a continuous feed to the cooker. The weighing and mixing cycle is fully automatic and complete records of every batch are available from the control system, either directly or over a factory network. Autofeed Cooking Cooking is a two-stage process that involves dissolving the granulated sugar or isomalt and evaporating the resultant syrup to achieve the required final solids. Different cookers are required for jelly and hard candy. Both start by dissolving the granulated sugar or Isomalt in a plate heat exchanger. If the product is a jelly the cooking can be completed in a Jet cooker. This is a simple venturi-style device that subjects the cooked syrup to a sudden drop in pressure, causing the excess moisture to flash off. Turbofilm Jelly Cooker The process is more complex for hard candy as it is important to achieve the required moisture reduction without holding the syrup at high temperatures for long periods. A specialist thin swept-film heat exchanger is needed. Page 7

8 As with the Turbofilm, the Microfilm cooking process begins with a plate heat exchanger to dissolve the sugar. Back-pressure is applied to increase the saturation level of the syrup to reduce the water and energy required to dissolve the sugar. There follows a two-stage cooking process: pre-cooking of the syrup takes place in the heat exchanger while cooking to final moisture takes place in a Microfilm rotor. Pre-cooking consists of raising the temperature and pressure of the syrup in a second stage of a plate heat exchanger before passing into a vessel at atmospheric pressure where some of the water is flashed off as vapour The partially cooked syrup then enters the Microfilm cooker. This is a falling-film cooker that comprises a steam-heated tube down the inside of which the syrup passes. The surface of the cooker tube is scraped by a series of blades to form a very thin film of syrup that cooks in a matter of seconds as it passes down the tube into a collecting chamber. Cooking temperature is reduced by holding the cooker under vacuum. Microfilm Rapid cooking at the lowest possible temperature is vitally important to avoid heat degradation and process inversion that would reduce clarity and lead to shelf life problems such as stickiness and cold flow. Sugar-free syrups have to be cooked to a slightly lower moisture content and this is achieved by an additional flash vessel after the cooker. Page 8

9 Additions Dosing Colours, flavours and acid (CFA) are added to the syrup directly after the cooker and it is at this point that the active ingredients would normally be added using a similar system. The basic CFA addition system comprises a holding tank and a peristaltic pump. Mixing, heating and recirculation options may be added to the holding tank to keep the additions in optimum condition while a flowmeter control loop may be added to the pump for ultimate accuracy. Each additive has its own system and is fed to the depositor independently. They may be incorporated into the syrup using either static or dynamic in-line mixers or an open mixing cone. The choice depends on the nature of the additives Additions System Depositing A depositor comprises a depositing head, mould circuit and cooling tunnel. The cooked syrup is held in a heated hopper fitted with a large number of individual pump cylinders one for each deposit. Candy is drawn into the body of the pump cylinder by upward motion of a piston and then pushed through a ball valve on the downward stroke. The mould circuit is moving continuously and the whole depositing head reciprocates back and forth to track its movement. All the movements in the head are servodriven for accuracy and linked mechanically for consistency Depositing Head and Nozzle Moulds A two-pass cooling tunnel is located after the depositor with ejection under the depositor head. For had candy, ambient air is drawn from the factory and circulated through the tunnel by a series of fans. Jellies normally require some refrigerated cooling. In both cases, when the candies emerge from the cooling tunnel they are at final solids and completely cooled no further drying or cooling is required Moulds can be metal with a non-stick coating or silicone rubber with either mechanical or air ejection. They are arranged in sections that can be easily removed for changing products, cleaning or re-coating. ServoForm Depositor Page 9